Saturday, December 18, 2010

Christmas Tins 2010

The first Christmas after we were married, I determined to make Christmas baskets full of goodies every year.  Is it really a loser thing to admit that I look forward to this every year?  Well, I do.

I have made mostly the same things each Christmas, but I wanted to try some new things this year.  In the past I made chocolate raspberry fudge (which I still plan to make), popcorn balls, macaroons, and chocolate Oreo cookie bark.  

I always bought baskets for them up until last year.  I couldn't find any baskets I liked at a decent price so I got goodie boxes instead.  This year, I found some tins.  

Unfortunately, the tins didn't hold as much as I thought they would, so I was relegated to only two items per tin.  (Wow, will I ever get to the food part of this post?)

I made Holiday Biscotti and Chocolate-Dipped Marshmallows topped with Peppermint.

I'm not sure why, but I've always been intimidated by biscotti.  I'd never looked at a recipe for it, but I was convinced it must be difficult.  It isn't at all difficult.

The recipe is extremely straightforward.  I did think it needed more pistachios and cranberries.  I also was a bit shocked by the absence of anise, and to be quite honest it needed anise.  Biscotti is not biscotti without anise.  I followed the recipe this time, but next time it's getting anise.  

It does make a beautiful presentation though with the green pistachios and the red cranberries offset by the white chocolate.  Very impressive.

The chocolate-dipped marshmallows were inspired by something similar I saw at Fresh Market.  Very straightforward idea.  Heat chocolate, dip marshmallows in chocolate, sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy and let cool.  Also a very nice presentation, and very tasty.

I don't have any photos yet of the tins or their contents, but I have one left to do and will take and post pictures.

Christmas Party Fare

Every year, I try to put on a Christmas party--not so much for other people as for myself.  I'm only half-kidding about that.  While I most certainly do enjoy having friends over for the holidays, I really do love putting out a table full of delicious eats.

Because I cannot boast a formal dining room, I decided long ago that rather than having only two or three people over at a time for a dinner I would invite more people for drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

The menu this year was as follows:
Heavyset Cheeseball
Cocktail Shrimp
Olives
Sausage Balls (see my earlier post)
Spinach and Goat Cheese Tartlets
Bruschetta (my own make-shift recipe)
Christmas Stollen (purchased)
and a bowlful of Hershey's Kisses

I also served red wine (Espiritu de Chile 2006 Carmenere), and a Chardonnay (2006 Meridian), and the usual array of soft drinks.

I typically try to do this sort of menu with a mixture of homemade and purchased items to make things a little easier on myself.  This was especially necessary this year since I decided to give my Christmas tins as party favors this year. (See next post).

The heavyset cheeseball proved a crowd favorite.  Everyone was initially awed by the presentation, and then loved the flavor.  The recipe seemed a little light on flavor so I added a good bit more dill and a smidgeon of garlic powder.  It was just right.  For the green garnish, I simply used the extra dill.

I've posted before on the sausage balls, and they were yet again a big hit.

My personal favorite was the tartlets.  In this, I may be biased by my steadfast opinion that there is nothing that cannot be improved by goat cheese.  I also made these for a party earlier this year.  They really are incredibly easy to make.  I do recommend using the pre-made phyllo cups.  They are a huge time-saver.  I also use only one teaspoon of lemon zest instead of two.  The first time I made these, I followed the recipe and they were too lemony.

For the bruschetta, I forgot the basil.  In my defense, I had been running around like a mad woman getting ingredients and doing Christmas shopping.  I realized as I began chopping the tomatoes that I had forgotten the basil, and made a decision to go without it.  I did tomatoes, shallots and garlic with salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Turned out great.  I do highly recommend getting the bakery to slice a baguette for the bruschetta.  I've noticed many places selling pre-made and packaged bruschetta chips/slices, but nothing beats freshly toasted bread.

Everyone gets bombarded with sweets this time of year, so I chose to keep the dessert simple.  Christmas stollen and Hershey's Kisses fit the bill and looked great on the table.


Now to the more artsy side of my Christmas party.  I couldn't find votive holders I liked at a price I could swallow, so I improvised.  I have a collection of ribbon remnants from previous Christmases, so I had an epiphany.  I bought two plain votive holders at $1 each, wrapped a piece of holly and ivy ribbon around them and voila!  Festive candles!

Originally, I had planned to use paper plates and cups for the party, but I decided against it.  I get to drag out my Noritake so rarely, and this would be so few dishes that I had to go for it.  I'm happy I did.  It really added to the ambience.  I also decided against plastic cups.  I did have to buy some goblets but I got them for practically nothing at Ross and I can always use them.  I also bought a pair of foil red serving plates to add a little extra color to the table.

Overall, it was a very nice evening.  Great company and great food.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

My First Turkey

This year I cooked my first Thanksgiving turkey.  As any woman knows, this is a rite of passage.  This turkey is unforgettable regardless of how it tastes.  Fortunately, my turkey turned out beautifully, and I won't have to recount any horror stories during future holidays.

Brining has always attracted me.  I chose Emeril's Brined, Herb-Roasted Turkey recipe.

For the turkey itself, I chose a Publix brand, fresh (never frozen), 13-pound turkey.  A huge benefit of a fresh turkey, other than taste, is there is no panic about defrosting the bird.

I purchased a five-gallon bucket from Lowe's for the brining.  I did have to take out my fruit and veggie drawers, but it fit perfectly after that.

The brining process really couldn't have been simpler.  Throw everything in the bucket, cover and let sit for up to 24 hours.  My turkey brined for approximately 14 hours.


I got up early Thanksgiving morning to stuff the turkey and put it in the oven.  I had always been told that a good roasting pan made all the difference.  After conducting some research, I learned the best pan is a Calphalon.  The downside to this pan is that it is over $100.  So I looked for a pan that most closely resembled the Calphalon's v-shaped rack and non-stick pan.  TJ Maxx had a Barenthal for $30.  

To monitor the temperature, I used a leave-in, probe thermometer with a digital reader which stays outside the oven.  (I'm sure there is a more succinct way of describing that.)  It worked extraordinarily well.


The turkey cooked for about four hours, and tasted amazing.  Incredibly moist with great flavor.  I'm not a dark meat person, but even the dark meat was delicious, not greasy or grissly.

There is really only one thing I would do differently next time.  I should have put some of the herbs and seasoning under the skin instead of just inside the cavity.  The breast meat could have used more flavor.

As an additional note, the gravy is great.  I did not chop up the gizzards or neck and add it to the gravy.  I wanted it to be smooth.